“This is my baby,” Alexandra Thompson says, waving her arm around her charming Gastown boutique.
The 29-year-old fashionista’s baby, called Wardrobe Apparel, is filled with some of the most unforgettable and inventive clothes found in Vancouver, with an array of designers who aren’t overly represented in the Canadian market.
The racks carry stunningly crafted luxury European lines from London and Paris – quality investment pieces (with prices ranging from $40 to the $2,500) that are about as far from fast-fashion as you can get.
“That’s how we justify our price point – that’s our goal,” Thompson says. “We are here to find your investment pieces.”
And there are some lovely pieces to invest in – including a gorgeously tailored rich purple dress with billowing sleeves from Greta Constantine, and a camel-coloured high-waisted long wool skirt by Jean-Pierre Braganza, which promises to be a forever favourite.
Her typical clientele are professional women in their late 20s to late 30s – lawyers, accountants, and those in the financial world – a place Thompson knows well.
Thompson, who majoredin finance at Dalhousie University and has an MBA from UBC, previously worked in financial services, travelling the globe for business, and shopping unique boutiques along the way. During her travels, shespent her off time hunting for interesting one-off boutiques – the very shops that would later inspire Wardrobe Apparel’s current format.
The idea to switch careers came to Thompson during an eight-day trek through Nepal, where she had a light-bulb moment, realizing her dream was to open a boutique in her hometown that would carry the unique designers she encountered on her travels.
After Nepal, she headed for London, where she met with her friend Brian Macinnes. When she told him about her idea to open a boutique in Vancouver, he wanted to be part of it.
“He said, ‘I’m in … I don’t know what part I’m in, but I’m in,’” Thompson laughs, recalling how easily the partnership was formed.
They talked about the challenge of shopping in Vancouver – a market that is somewhat saturated with a lot of the same brand names – meaning there is a good chance of bumping into people wearing the same clothes. That embarrassing situation wasn’t a concern for Thompson because of her access to small-run designers in Europe.
Thompson’s concept was to offer the same option to other women in Vancouver. With the concept of exclusivity in mind, Wardrobe Apparel carries just a single size of each item – including shoes. Meaning, when a shopper scoops up a pair of darling lace-up Chelsea Paris heels, or a J. JS Lee dress, there is a good chance she will be wearing one of just a few in town.
Wardrobe Apparel officially opened in May, so it’s still early days for the boutique. With her financial background, Thompson doesn’t harbour any illusions about how long it will take to make the business profitable – she estimates they’re looking at four to five years down the road.
“It’s retail,” Thompson says, sitting on the love seat at the front of the boutique, which has floor to ceiling windows, allowing the natural light to shine in. The blonde straight-shooter adds, “We are in the rag trade, but it’s a fun rag trade.”
